My last trip to Singapore was neither recent nor cliff hanging in excitement, so it makes sense to bury its memories deep in the hard drive.

Right… until I saw a photo of the Gardens by the Bay just this week and realized I have been there, it was spectacular, and I do have an awesome photo to prove that I toured SG… in less than a weekend!

Ah yes, with strangers and train rides galore and poop smells from the Night Safari still lingering in my memory, the SG weekend deserves a post albeit very, very late. See if you can guess the date.

And for those planning to visit Singapore (on your own account), I beg you to stay for longer than just a weekend and to find time to eat real Singaporean delicacies.

Whilst I had my fill of samosas and cereal prawns (no complaints on those), I felt that the trip was not complete without even painfully cracking a single crab claw.

It was that finger licking crab moment which I sorely missed.

Since it was supposed to be a business-illegally-turned-leisure trip which was not my fault, the itinerary got jumbled and I found myself wearing smart casual on a Sunday.

But since it was go-go weekend, there was not enough time to complain, let alone charge my phone.

We started the journey with what seemed to be the educational part, the type where when you get back to work, this is what you tell your boss about – and not the other side trips.

In our case, it was the Google Singapore office. Some kind training gentleman gave us a tour of the working areas, 3 floors of fun and games and food!

I’m sure you have heard of the notorious anecdotes and weight gain stories from Google newbies; they are all true.

Not even the treadmills, interactive videogames and fireman poles can counter the calorie gain. 2 food areas/pantry (but in my vocabulary, amazing complex kitchen access) per floor with unlimited you-name-it will make you plan your meals till the next decade. Of course photos are not allowed but I did manage to sneak one of my plates (1 of 3 plates).

After a 20-minute showcase of Google for Business (I listened) and the I-want-to-work-here tour, the business side of the trip was over. I have no other photos to post, was not able to sneak any, and so I just wondered what we were having for dinner.

The first destination post-Google was the Night Safari. Aboard the evening express, we viewed safari animal in their evening habitat. Since we could not use the camera flash – you got it – no photos from me.

Let me just describe the highlight of the ride: I saw a hyena!

On the downside, the ride got boring since we were awake at 3am; people were falling asleep on the tram and smelling like mammal poop! That was not a sweet way to end the evening. The next day promised more adventure (aka walking nonstop). In fact, I remember walking at Sentosa and burning so much calories, I could eat a sack of noodles for dinner. That was all I did, walk, pee, look for interesting snacks to bring home, stop to fix my sandals, walk again. I managed to snag a Gong Cha matcha cup (out of thirst) but finished it in a minute, so there was no joy in that.

Here are some photos of the entire SG City and Sentosa trip: We passed by this quaint town on the way to restaurant #1. It was so laid back and screaming of #TBT so I just had to take a snapshot.

Oh they did say that going around the Suntec City sign several times was a sign of good luck thing. Months after this SG trip, I can confidently say I’m in worse luck! Seriously 🙂

Sentosa required several modes of transportation to get there (including cable car and zzzz bus rides). Once on the island, walking was mandatory and one day is not enough!

The Sentosa highlight was the lights and sound (and water) show in the evening, which was stunning! The storyline was rather cheesy boy-meets-girl-and-travels-through-time, but the effects were marvelous. Oh if only i was not so sleepy!

Gardens by the Bay was another not-to-miss destination – even if you’re not into flowers and nature. Seriously, walking around the themed Heritage gardens and looking up at the Supertrees gives you the Thumbelina-Jurassic World high.

You get wet, misted, walking around unique flora and fauna, but guess what – never tired!

Okay, we cheated; we rode the Garden Cruiser Audio Tour. It was a hot day, not even the umbrella could help ward off the heat. There was so much going on, from the Flower Dome to the Cloud Forest (with falls). From the colorful medley of the flower fields, we climbed and circled the beanstalk to talk to the clouds. Naturrific!

Best to follow the Gardens tour with… lunch! The most memorable meal was the deviant lunch where I happily separated from my tour group. Off to Marina Bay Sands which has a Bath and Body Works store (joy!) and Pita Pan. A play of words, this Pita Pan serves Mediterranean food at the top of the mall. Just one serving of the Mediterranean platter with Falafel drove me to veggie heaven. Please come over to Manila! Admittedly, I ended my high with the falafel treat. I did manage a few more train rides and performed my staple task in a foreign country: visit the grocery! Other than that, it was the same old, walk, ride the bus and catch the late flight home.

Still, if given a second chance to visit SG, I would eat more seafood and pitas. I would plan my itinerary so that I can visit more towns and cities. I will visit more groceries and lastly, I would get some dessert! On a final note, we stayed at V Lavender Hotel. It sits atop the Lavender train station so it’s most convenient. The hotel lobby smells of lavender, so if you hate the stuff, don’t book a room there!

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